1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording method, and in particular, to a thermal transfer recording method for making a record with the use of a metallic ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a thermal transfer recording device has been widely used as an output device of a computer, a word processor and the like because it is of high recording quality, low noise, low cost, and easy maintenance.
In the general thermal transfer recording device like this, recording paper is held in front of a platen and a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements is mounted on a carriage. While the thermal head is being reciprocated along the platen with the carriage in the state in which an ink ribbon and the recording paper are sandwiched between the thermal head and the platen, the ink ribbon is unreeled and a current is passed selectively through the heating elements of the thermal head on the basis of recording information to heat the heating elements selectively, whereby the ink of the ink ribbon is partially transferred to the recording paper to record a desired picture such as a character on the recording paper
In the conventional thermal transfer recording device like this, a recording device has been well known which uses a heat-fusible ink ribbon made of base material like a plastic film to which heat-fusible ink is applied. When this heat-fusible ink ribbon is used for making a record, it can make a record on the various kinds of recording papers such as smooth paper, ordinary paper, thick paper, and a post card, and has excellent usability.
Further, in recent years, a lustrous record has been made by transferring a metallic-luster ink such as gold ink and silver ink. When the metallic-luster ink is transferred, to keep the lustrous surface of the ink, the fused and transferred ink is cooled and solidified and then it is separated to make a record.
That is, in the case where a record is made with the use of the metallic-luster ink in the conventional thermal transfer recording device described above, it is necessary that the metallic-luster ink is separated after it is cooled and solidified. In the case where the metallic-luster ink is separated after it is cooled and solidified, since wax-based or semi-resin-based material is used as an adhesive for bonding an ink layer to the basematerial of the ink ribbon, a relatively good record can be made for the recording paper having a smooth surface like smooth paper. However, there exist a problem that if the metallic-luster ink is transferred to the recording paper having a rough surface like rough paper, the ink is separated or is not suitably transferred. Therefore, there exists a problem that when a record is made with the use of the metallic-luster ink, a beautiful record can not be made stably on the various kinds of recording papers other than the smooth paper.
Further, even if the smooth paper is used, when characters smaller than a twenty-odd point are recorded, there exists another problem that the characters become so faint that they can not be recorded correctly.